If a statewide Constitutional amendment is approved by Alabama voters this November, Franklin and Lauderdale County residents will have legal protection from prosecution for church security team members in the event they are required to injure or kill someone in defense of the church.
Rep. Jamie Kiel (R-Russellville) introduced the local legislation for both counties last year. As is the normal course of procedure in the legislature, Kiel expected other legislators would vote to approve legislation that only affected his House district. Kiel also had the support of Rep. Proncey Robertson (R-Mount Hope), whose House district includes eastern Franklin County.
There was one objection in the House, from a Birmingham-area legislator, so the bill, after it passed through the Senate, will appear as a proposed Constitutional amendment on the November 3, 2020, general election ballot.
The issue of church security was highlighted after last month's fatal shooting of two church members in a Texas church. A member of the church security team, a 71-year-old former reserve deputy sheriff, shot and killed the shooter moments after he shot the two church members.
Alabama legislators approved a 'stand your ground' law in 2006 that removed the duty to retreat if before a person uses deadly physical force in the event he reasonably believes another person is about to use deadly physical force.
But Kiel is concerned that law may not protect a member of a church security team who is faced with using deadly physical force to protect another member of his or her church congregation.
“If there is a member of the church security team in the parking lot and he gets a call there's some type of danger inside the building in the nursery, for example, he is not standing h is ground by going inside,” Kiel said. “He is pursing that danger to protect those inside the church.
“We want to make sure that security person does not face criminal prosecution for making that stop,” Kiel added.
Rep. Lynn Greer (R-Rogersville) has introduced a statewide bill that would clarify that church security members may use deadly physical force in the event they reasonably believe someone is about to do serious physical harm on church property.
Greer's legislation has been approved by the House, but not the Senate. And his attempt to reintroduce the legislation last year failed without a vote even being taken in the House.
Kiel is concerned about the vulnerability of churches, particularly those in rural areas not served by municipal police departments.
“We've seen from recent events the necessity of making sure church security teams are taken care of,” Kiel said. “Most security teams at churches are not professional law enforcement. They don't have the same protection law enforcement officers have so we want to make sure those team members have that added protection when serving.”
Kiel attended a church security seminar last year at First Baptist Church in Russellville and he was surprised to see the number of local churches that have some type of security team in place.
“It just solidified to me that we need that protection in the rural areas of our state,” Kiel said.
The 2020 Legislative general session begins February 4. Kiel plans to introduce local legislation that would protect church security teams in Colbert County as well.
